Andrew Hall (left), Managing Director of Paratus Namibia and Hon. Dr Peya Mushelenga (right), Namibia's Minister of ICT at the official launch of Armada DC in Namibia.

Paratus Namibia officially launched its N$123-million Armada DC campus, the country’s first carrier-neutral datacentre, located on the outskirts of Windhoek.

Paratus said the facility will offer various colocation services, from half-cabinets to multi-tenant rows and private cages.

The company said the launch signals Namibia’s readiness to participate in the 4IR.

The company released a statement which reads in part, “… The new purpose-built facility will enable businesses to host their ICT infrastructure in a secure and world-class Tier III equivalent datacentre. Armada has been designed to exacting and precise standards, leveraging the latest physical and virtual security and the highest possible uptime. The DC will also offer businesses a colocation environment with a resilient infrastructure environment which minimises the IT capital expenditure and operating costs associated with ‘on-premise’ data storage and management.”

Paratus Group CEO Schalk Erasmus said: “. This is the archetype of modern technology at work, and Armada is another example of how the Paratus mission to transform Africa through excellent infrastructure is being realised. As a state-of-the-art facility and one in which we have invested around N$123-million, Armada is a one-of-a-kind, one-stop shop for businesses of all sizes to compete at world-class levels. This is a proud day for Paratus Group.”

At the launch Namibia's Minister of ICT Dr Dr Peya Mushelenga referred to the government’s Vision 2030 which stipulates that ICT must be the most critical sector in the country’s economic development.

He said: “ICT has become a fundamental part of how we interact, communicate, conduct business, or manage our affairs. It will play a major role in realising our Vision for Namibia, one of being a prosperous and industrialised nation developed by her human resources, enjoying peace, harmony, and political stability.”

Erasmus explained: “Our DC plans have aligned with one of the big 5 Tech Giants in the world, which sends a strong message of confidence to other operators. For the end-user, more content and information may be transmitted to more people through multiple operators. The content will be The company added that the facility encourages interconnectivity between multiple telecommunications carriers, allowing multiple service providers to use the facilities and thereby enhance service offerings to colocation clients. This broadens the appeal of the Armada DC because it can serve any business – small, medium, or enterprise.

“Businesses today understand that technological advancement is critical for economic development”, Erasmus added. “To participate in the 4IR, they need an independent, secure, and highly sophisticated DC facility to store and protect their data 24/7/365; one that can house and physically protect all equipment and computer systems. Armada also offers an array of add-on services and features such as fully equipped boardrooms, high-quality video conferencing facilities and lightning-fast connections.

Erasmus continued: “With Armada, we’re helping to ‘unlimit’ the future for Namibian businesses and end-users.”